This terrific compilation of recipes (42 recipes in 300 pages) is akin to having 24/7 access to a bunch of super-geeks who have found the time you wish you had to explore every promising new web development technology out there. Moreover, the authors have prepared a nice little recipe (generally under 5 pages) for each idea that is worthy of further attention.

For the most part, you can skim through the book in any sequence. And you can either read or try out the recipes. I actually tried a few on my web sites (e.g. recipe #3) and they do work! And there's good thoughtful cross-referencing between recipes, pointing out prerequisites and ideas for further exploration.

Even if you're not motivated enough to try out all of the book's recipes, skimming through this book is the best way I can think of to develop a meaning…

Puneet is Senior Manager of Technology at SapientRazorfish. He specializes in web development and is keen on nature photography, the social sciences, and a number of sports and games including badminton, tennis, basketball, soccer, cricket, table tennis, pool, bowling, chess, volleyball and squash. He played the drums for a rock band during his college days in Ontario. Puneet founded The Sikh Times in 1999 and is author of the book Five Myths. Connect with Puneet on Twitter and LinkedIn.